Bill Hader Will Play The David Hasselhoff Role In The Baywatch Movie

If you were to ask me to list the actors best suited to slip on David Hasselhoff’s trademark red swim trunks for Paramount’s planned reboot of the one-time hit television program Baywatch, Saturday Night Live standout Bill Hader probably wouldn’t be in the top 100 selections. Which explains why he’s now the person chosen by the studio to lead the charge across the beach and into the ocean.

Hader, whose recent film credits have expanded to include mainstream blockbusters like Men In Black 3 (where he played Andy Warhol), and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -- as well as smaller movies like Paul and Adventureland -- will take on the lead role in the Baywatch film, The Wrap reports. Reno 911! co-creator Robert Ben Garant will direct the film, which reportedly will find the Malibu lifeguards exploring an off-the-coast oil rig that turns out to be a meth lab.

Hiring Hader suggests that this will be a much funnier remake, akin to 21 Jump Street, than a straight-up homage to the original show … which was more than a little tongue-in-cheek in the first place. The Wrap notes that Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson are expected to cameo in the movie, even though the latter went on the record recently to say she wasn't that interested in participating. We shall see.

Garant tells the site that they are aiming for an April start to filming. He also says that Paramount is so excited by the upcoming project that the studio asked him to film a trailer already. No idea if that’s a joke, or if we’ll see a Hader-led Baywatch tease. But if it surfaces, we’ll bring it to you. Stay tuned.